Keeping Her Safe
by madaquarius
Summary: Lucy and Laxus had been in hiding for over a year now. Dragons had swarmed Earthland, and everyone else they knew in Fairy Tail was either gone or missing. Natsu's last words had been for Laxus to keep Lucy safe.
1. Keeping Her Safe - I

Lucy scampered away from the Fairy Tail guildhall, not thinking clearly where she was going for as long as she could get away from him. Her breath was ragged, and she could hear the pounding of her heart.

It was already late in the evening. She could see the moon high up in the sky, but there were no stars. It was probably going to rain, she thought. She could feel the chilly wind brushing against her skin, which was already cold with her own sweat.

_There's no time to waste_, she thought desperately, trying to look for a place to hide in the empty streets of Magnolia. She was afraid of running into a dragon, but so far she hadn't seen one.

There was a thunderclap, and Lucy let out a tiny shriek, stopping in her tracks and covering her ears. For a moment, she thought he had found her, but that wasn't the case, so she went back to her running even though her legs were already tired.

Moments later, droplets of water started to fall from the heavens. As she anticipated, it started pouring. She could hear the splash of water in her every step. When she found a narrow passageway between two abandoned buildings, she decided to enter that dark alley, praying that she would find a secure place.

To her surprise and despair, she came face to face with a large brick wall with lots of graffiti. It was a dead-end.

_Turn back, turn back_, she thought, gasping for air. She took a couple of steps back and then spun on her heel to return to the open streets.

There was another thunderclap, and Lucy dropped to her knees and covered her ears as tears started streaming down her face. She was already soaked and shivering from the cold, and she still had no place to go.

She thought of Natsu and the rest of her guildmates. She missed them so much, and she was still hurting over the fact that she hadn't seen them for over a year. She hoped with all her heart that they were all still alive.

"There you are, Lucy."

Lucy glanced up and saw her hopes of escape evaporating before her very eyes. "Laxus," she whispered. Her body started shaking in fear as the lightning mage started walking over to her. Instinctively, she stood up and retreated until her back was finally against the wall.

"Stop this. Let's go back to the guildhall," he said, putting a hand on the wall above her head and bending over toward her.

She just glared at him, revealing her contempt, but he was having none of it. He lifted her and carried her in his arms as she cried softly in his chest.

He didn't know how she had managed to escape from the basement, but it didn't matter now. He was taking her back to where she could be safe. It was a good thing that most of the dragons had traveled north, probably hoping to find any remaining humans to eat or toy around with.

"Please, Laxus," she sniffled. "Let me go already."

He only grunted, feeling sorry for her for a moment. But then he shook his head. He needed to keep his feelings to himself. Her safety was his priority.

"Quit being sneaky," he told her. "That's what's going to get you killed."

"We should try to find Natsu," she pleaded to him. "He could still be alive."

Laxus didn't respond to that and continued to carry her in the rain. Natsu would have found them by now if he had still been alive. If there was one thing the fire mage was good at, it was finding Lucy.

More than half of Magnolia Town was already in ruins, but it was nothing compared to what had happened in Crocus, where it all started. Because there was no way to close the Eclipse Gate, dragons from four hundred years ago had entered the present era, destroying everything in their path.

"_Laxus, snap out of it! Take Lucy and keep her safe. You hear me? Laxus!" Natsu was screaming at him._

_Laxus wildly looked around the pile of dead bodies on the ground. He saw some of his comrades already lying there with the rest of the burnt corpses._

"_I'm going to hold them off, but you gotta get Lucy to safety," the fire mage told him."Promise me you'll get her to safety."_

"_I-I promise."_

So far, Laxus had kept his promise to Natsu, and he intended to keep it for as long as he could even if Lucy sometimes drove him nuts. He couldn't blame her for feeling helpless; all her celestial gate keys had been destroyed in Crocus in her attempt to close the Eclipse Gate. She had been relying on him for protection and survival—until recently.

* * *

When Laxus finally reached the Fairy Tail guildhall, he quietly pushed one of its double doors open and slid inside with Lucy. He gently set her down and then dragged her toward the infirmary where there were towels and dry clothes for them to change into.

Without preamble, the celestial mage started stripping her clothes off, not bothering to turn around or hide behind a curtain.

"Have some decency, would you?" he growled, averting his eyes from her.

"Oh, you're bothered by a petty thing like a naked woman," she retorted, now fully bare before him. "For all we know, we're the only ones left alive, and it's because the last of Mavis' power had been cast into this guildhall, making it undetectable by dragons."

"Just… get dressed quickly," he told her, still not looking at her. Then, he turned around and peeled off his wet shirt.

Lucy stared at the lightning mage as he rubbed a towel against his hair and body to dry himself. She was suddenly drawn at the sight of his broad back in spite of herself, imagining the feel of it.

Laxus was about to unbuckle his belt to remove his soaked pants, but then he sensed the celestial mage watching him from behind. He glanced over his shoulder to look at her and then stiffened when he realized that she was still bare.

"Didn't I tell you to get dressed already?" he snarled, looking away again. He could feel the heat rising to his face. She really had the body of a goddess.

"Laxus."

"What?"

"Get undressed. Let's have sex."

* * *

**A/N: Gah! ****I just wanted to share one of my many fantasies about Laxus and Lucy, surviving together in a post-apocalyptic era and driving each other mad. Sorry. I was feeling kind of lazy recently with my writing. Life got in the way of my motivation.**

**For now, I'll just leave this as a one-shot LaLu fanfic. I may or may not get back to it. Thanks for reading! XD**

**xoxo,**

**madaquarius**


	2. Keeping Her Safe - II

**A/N: so I decided to continue this story. lol. thanks for the comments!**

* * *

"Get undressed. Let's have sex."

The celestial mage's words hung in the air like smoke. Laxus could feel his insides burning from anger and desire. He knew that Lucy wasn't in her best judgment at this rate. For over a year, all he could do was watch her strength and optimism spiral downwards as there were no signs of life wherever they look. He could tell that she was waiting for Natsu to find her, but there was no doubt in hell that he was already dead along with the others.

The lightning mage clenched his teeth as he walked over to the beautiful but disillusioned woman. Trying to control his temper, he grabbed her by the upper arms and loomed his face over hers.

"You listen to me, Lucy," he growled. "I don't need this nonsense. So, why don't you get dressed before you get cold and sick? Sound good?"

Laxus was waiting for the blonde woman to dissolve into tears again. He was trying to sound harsher than he intended to hide how he was really feeling. If this was in a different time, he would gladly have sex with her, pleasure her until she screams his name.

But they were both in a difficult situation. Laxus knew that if ever the dragons could find them, they were done for. Because Lucy seemed to be faltering, he should be the one who must think clearly, even though his resolve could easily be broken by his loneliness and the sight of his attractive companion.

Lucy seemed to be unaffected by the way Laxus was acting. To the lightning mage's surprise, the blonde woman merely stared at him with her dry eyes. It wasn't fear that he was seeing in those brown orbs – it was lust.

Before things could get out of hand, Laxus released her, grabbed a few dry clothes, and walked out of the infirmary. She certainly had lost her mind. It would only be a matter of time before he would lose his.

Sighing, Lucy walked over to the cabinets to look for some dry clothes. As soon as she found a comfortable pair, she donned them quickly and then plopped herself down on one of the infirmary beds, trying to reflect on her behavior.

Her distress in losing her gate keys and friends to the dragons must really have taken a toll on her. She wanted to believe that they could still be alive somewhere. But over a year had passed and no one came looking for her, not even Natsu.

It was only a matter of time before they would run out of supplies for survival. Lucy knew that Laxus was doing everything he could to protect her, even to go as far as locking her up in the guildhall's basement.

She couldn't blame him. In the past, she would try to leave the guildhall to look for help. One time, a dragon was able to spot her and tried to burn her into a crisp. Fortunately, Laxus managed to get her out of there in time using his lightning magic.

Laxus would ask her to stay put in the basement while he would look for food, clothes, and other supplies that they could use to survive. It was amazing how Mavis' power could last this long, making them undetectable by the dragons for as long as they stay within the walls of the guildhall.

Sighing, Lucy decided to apologize to Laxus. He was probably so sick of her. Getting up from bed, she walked out of the infirmary room and searched for him. She found him pouring himself a glass of beer at the bar, fully dressed and still broad as ever.

"Do you want one?" he offered gruffly without looking at her.

"No, thanks," Lucy replied. She hesitated, and then asked, "Aren't you going to lock me up in the basement?"

"What's the point? You're just going to let yourself out of there."

Lucy let out a mirthless chuckle. "Well, you forgot to lock the door the last time. That's the reason I was able to let myself out."

Laxus frowned and stared at her. "I did?"

"Yeah."

"Heh. I must be losing my touch."

"We both are."

Both mages stared at each other, and the sexual tension started building up again. Lucy walked over toward him, took the glass of beer from his hand, and placed it on the counter. Then, she nestled herself into his arms and breathed his musky scent.

Laxus's heart was pounding hard in his chest. He shouldn't be taking Lucy in his arms like this, but here he was, pulling her close and smelling her hair. He could feel himself harden at the feel of soft curves against his body.

"I should probably get back to my drink," he murmured a few moments later. "Why don't you go back to the infirmary and get some rest? I'll be there in a bit."

"Please hurry," Lucy whispered. "I don't want to sleep alone."

"I know."

Lucy stepped back and looked up at the lightning mage. His eyes looked pained that she wanted to comfort him. The only problem was that she didn't know how to. She stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek, catching him by surprise.

"What was that for?" Laxus asked.

"Nothing," Lucy replied, blushing. "I guess I just want to apologize and say thanks." Without waiting for him to say something, she turned around and headed back to the infirmary.

Laxus watched her retreating form until she disappeared from his sight. Then, he glanced back at his drink, picked it up, and swallowed it in one gulp. This was going to be a long night.


	3. Keeping Her Safe - III

When Laxus finally entered the infirmary after downing several more drinks at the bar, he saw Lucy already fast asleep in one of the beds. He could hear her mumbling softly in her sleep, and the fire mage's name, as always, slipped from her pretty little mouth. Even in her dreams, she's still searching for him.

It wasn't as if Laxus hadn't tried searching for Natsu himself to see if he's still alive. But no matter where he went, he could no longer detect his magic or scent.

He gritted his teeth. The memory of burnt corpses started to resurface again, making him sick to his stomach. The shock, anger, and anguish that he'd felt when everyone he knew and loved burned before his very eyes returned, causing his whole body to shake.

Laxus thought that he'd be able to contain his emotions by now, but he couldn't be any more wrong. He still blamed himself for not being strong enough to protect everyone. And the alcohol still didn't help ease the burden he's feeling.

_Damn it!_

Now all he could was try to protect Lucy in the best way possible. He knew that at this moment and probably for what time he had left in this godforsaken world, she was all he had.

Blowing out a breath, he moved away from Lucy, who finally quieted. He slipped into the covers of his own bed and stared at the ceiling, blinking back his tears. He shouldn't have any problem falling asleep as the alcohol already made him feel dizzy. Any moment now, he'd stop thinking about that tragic day…

* * *

When Lucy opened her eyes the next morning, she saw Laxus sitting on his bed, eyeing the window. He looked so fresh and clean that he probably showered when he woke up. Before she could stop herself, she let out a groan.

"Good, you're awake," the lightning mage grunted without glancing at her. "Get up. The skies are still clear. No signs of dragons. I should be able to scavenge some supplies."

Lucy knew what this means; he's going to lock her up in the basement again.

"Do you really need to lock me up in the basement again?" she asked imploringly, sitting up.

Laxus sighed and turned his eyes to meet hers. "You know I have to," he said. For as long as she'd keep on saying Natsu's name in her sleep, he knew that she'd stop at nothing to leave this place to go look for him.

"Can't I just go with you?"

"We've been over this before. You know it's not safe out there."

"But I…"

"Enough," Laxus snapped, glaring at her. "Now, do whatever you have to do before I leave."

"Fine," Lucy muttered, glaring back at him. "I'm going to take a shower and look pretty." She kicked off the covers and got up from the bed.

As she was about to leave the infirmary, Laxus blocked her way in a flash, towering over her with his full height.

"What's with you?" he demanded, crossing his large arms across his broad chest. "You know I'm only trying to protect you, even from your goddamn self!"

"I don't want to be alone here!" Lucy burst out. She didn't mean to, but she couldn't help herself. She knew he meant well, but she had to let him know how she truly felt about this situation. "Don't you get it, Laxus? Every time you leave me here, all I can ever think about was that day when we lost everyone."

Laxus stared at her. She was already shaking uncontrollably. He didn't know if it's because of grief or anger, but she was shaking so bad that he wanted to hold her.

"And when I'm here all alone," she went on, her eyes brimming with tears, "I always wonder if you'll ever come back."

"Lucy," Laxus said soothingly, taking her in his arms and pulled her against him. He let her cry on his chest and waited for her sobs to subside. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. But I promise you… I'll come back. I just want you to be safe. You're all I have. You know that."

Lucy looked up to meet Laxus' eyes. They looked red as if he's about to cry but was only restraining himself.

She finally caved in. "Okay," she whispered.

When Laxus released her, he watched Lucy pick up some towels from the cabinets and walked out of the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

* * *

After Lucy was finished with her shower, she felt a lot better. She and Laxus were now eating breakfast in the main hall in silence. She wondered where the tall mage got all these food supplies, but she never bothered to ask.

Sometimes, she'd catch him staring at her then looking away. While the mutual attraction was definitely there, Lucy couldn't bring herself to admit that she actually liked him. Sure, she knew he cared about her, but he had an overbearing personality and was always so serious.

_Well, it's not like my sense of humor is working these days either_, she thought grimly.

Lucy decided to break the silence. "Hey, Laxus? How long do you think should we be staying here?"

"As long as necessary," Laxus immediately responded. "Besides, there's nowhere else to go that's safe."

Lucy put her spoon down and sighed. "Right."

"You saw what's out there. Everywhere is practically a burnt cemetery," he told her. "We're just lucky that the first master's magic brought us here, though I can't say the same for everyone else," he added bitterly.

"Where do you think Master Mavis is?" she asked.

"The hell I know," he responded in a bored tone, apparently uninterested. "Can we talk about something else?"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Talk about something else? Like what?" she muttered sarcastically.

Laxus was quiet for a moment. Then, for the first time in months, there was a hint of smirk on his face. The sight of it surprised the celestial wizard, and she wondered what he found so funny.

"What?" she snapped, folding her arms.

"Relax," Laxus said, running a hand through his hair. "I'm just curious about something."

"Curious about what?"

Laxus stared at her as if eager to watch her reaction. "I'm curious why you suddenly asked me to sleep with you last night."

There was silence.

Lucy flushed. "Oh, that," she mumbled. "I-I wasn't thinking that night."

"Sure you were," he teased, his lips broadened into a grin. "Mind telling me what's the about?"

"Can your male ego be any more annoying?" she spat, although she's a little distracted by how the lightning mage looked so handsome when he's smiling. "I said I wasn't thinking!"

She watched him raise his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright," he said, chuckling. "If you say so."

But Lucy wasn't having any of it. Two can play at this game.

She put on her most seductive smile. "Okay, fine," she said coolly. "I did want to sleep with you that night. And if you must know…" she paused dramatically. "I still do."

That startled him. "Wait, what?"

"Oh, come on, Laxus," she said sweetly, resting her chin on her palm as she placed her elbow on the table. "I saw your expression… The way you looked at my body. The way you're looking at me now."

It was Laxus' turn to blush, but he knew that this woman was only teasing him back. They were in a dark situation, true, and he ought to keep her safe no matter what. But what harm could playing a little game with her do?

"Well, then," he said pleasantly, "it's way too early for me to leave." He grinned at her. "I still have a few minutes to give you what you want."

Lucy swallowed hard. She knew she's treading on dangerous grounds by playing along with him. But then, she found herself saying, "so, what are we waiting for?"


	4. Keeping Her Safe - IV

The next thing Lucy knew, her back was already on the table with her hands pinned at the top of her head by Laxus' strong hand. She let out a gasp as it happened so fast. She looked up at the lightning mage above her; his expression was unfathomable.

Then, slowly, he lowered his face to hers but stopped when their lips were only inches apart.

"Laxus," she managed to utter. She could feel the heat radiating from his body that she thought she could melt from it. _I can't believe this is happening!_

"What's the matter?" Laxus asked, his breath fanning against her lips. "Surprised?"

"An understatement," Lucy replied. "You certainly didn't waste any time."

He gave her a wolfish grin. "So, where do you want me to start?"

Lucy blushed, turning her face to the side. "Okay, you win," she relented. "You can quit fooling around now." She tried to wriggle her hands free from his grip, but he was too strong. And he wouldn't let her go.

"Ah? But we're just getting started," he murmured in her neck, sending shivers down her spine.

Laxus only meant to tease her when he brushed his lips against her throat. But as her sweet scent filled his nostrils and the sound of her soft moan rang in his ears, he realized that his self-control was starting to slip away.

At this moment, he wanted to have sex with her right here on this table. He wouldn't mind even if they had sex with their clothes on, although it would be nice to see her amazing body one more time.

Lucy's heart was racing, and her thighs were on fire. She knew Laxus was only teasing her, but she couldn't help but want him to continue what he's doing. It felt so good. When she finally turned her head to face him, their lips met.

At first, the kiss was gentle and a little bit awkward. Moments later, it turned hard and demanding. At the first touch of tongues, they both groaned with pleasure and deepened the kiss.

His taste and scent were so erotic that Lucy was instantly shaking from arousal. As Laxus positioned himself between her legs, she could feel his hardness on her.

She wanted him. And judging by the way his hands traveling all over her body, she knew that he wanted her.

However, before things could progress, she suddenly felt Laxus stiffen. Moments later, he quickly removed himself from her and jumped back.

"What's the matter?" Lucy asked, breathing heavily, startled when she saw Laxus' confused expression.

"I hear something," he said darkly.

Lucy sat up and tried to listen. There's nothing.

"It's probably just the wind," she mumbled, consciously arranging her clothes.

"Lucy," he said sternly, "I want you to hide in the basement right now." He grabbed both her upper arms and hoisted her from the table to the floor.

"What?" Lucy stared at him, trying to make sense of what he's saying. "But why?"

"I'm not sure, but I think it's _him_."

"Who?"

"Acnologia."

"Acnologia?" Lucy repeated. She could feel her blood drain from her face. "A-Are you sure?"

"I can hear him, let alone smell him." Laxus clenched his fists.

Lucy found it hard to believe him. So, did that mean that the future Rogue and the dragons from 400 years ago hadn't been successful in finding him for the past year? But what was Acnologia doing in Magnolia? Did he suddenly decide to hide here?

Laxus suddenly moved his way to the double doors of the guildhall. Alarmed, Lucy grabbed his arm and tugged.

"Let go," he said immediately.

"Where do you think you're going?" Lucy snapped. "You're not seriously thinking about fighting Acnologia, are you?"

"I'm not afraid to fight him," Laxus seethed. "Now, go back to the basement and stay there until I return."

"No way!"

"It's too dangerous. I need to keep you safe!"

"Laxus, if you fight him, you'll draw too much attention to the other dragons." Lucy tried to reason with him. "You'll get yourself killed!"

Laxus was quiet for a moment. "I don't think we have a choice, Lucy," he said, looking at her.

"What do you mean?"

"I could smell dragon blood all over him right now."

Lucy's eyes widened at the sight of his pale face. "No," she whispered. "Could it be that he defeated all of them? But that's impossible…"

"It's Acnologia," the lightning mage snarled. "He might not be able to sense us in his dragon form because of the first master's magic, but there's no telling that he wouldn't be able to know we're here if he's in his human form."

Lucy could only look at him.

"So, please," he went on, "I want you to hide in the basement for me while I fight him off. He hunts for dragons and dragon slayers. If dragons can't defeat him, then maybe a dragon slayer can."

"No, I won't go," the celestial mage argued. "I can't leave you with him."

"You're going to have to," he said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "If he's sensed me already, then he's already heading toward here. I want you to hide in the basement for now. And if I don't come back —"

"Stop it!" Lucy cried, tears streaming down her face. "Don't talk like that!"

"If I don't come back," Laxus pressed, "I want you to remain there for a few days. One way or another, he'll leave Magnolia and go somewhere else. You'll still be safe here."

"And then what?" Lucy sobbed. "You want me to be alone again? I can't stand being alone! Not like this. If you're going to go, then I'm going with you!"

Laxus sighed. "Damn it," he swore softly. "I promised Natsu to keep you safe."

Without warning, the double doors of the guildhall exploded. Lucy screamed, and Laxus grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her, protecting her from the flying wood and rubble.

Moments later, Acnologia, drenched in blood, stepped into the floors of the Fairy Tail guildhall.

"Look what we have here," he said hoarsely. "The last of the dragon slayers."

* * *

**A/N: ugh, they were havin a moment. like wtf acnologia?! haha. i know some of the things here, if not all, don't make any sense and many stuff are barely explained, but you're gon have to forgive me lol. thanks for readin**


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